What a great team win. Everyone contributed, and Crosby and Fleury were clutch in the shootout to seal the deal. Now, carry this momentum into Saturday in Toronto.
The Sharks outshot the Penguins 4-0 through the first four and half minutes of the game, and gave off the impression that we were in for a long night. However, the Matt Cooke-Evgeni Malkin-Petr Sykora line put together two quality shifts in a row, generating several quality scoring chances on the way.
With time, though, things were once again as they were at the game's beginning.
Marc-Andre Fleury made some big-time stops in tight on Milan Michalek and Joe Pavelski, keeping the game even as his team was being outshot by an ungodly ratio.
Bill Thomas and Jordan Staal had a nice rush up the ice, but that was all killed when the puck came to Miroslav Satan, who nonchalantly put a wrister into the chest of Brian Boucher.
All in all, it was a run and gun first period. Sharks led 15-11 in shots, but the Pens were at least sticking with them, which was really all we could hope for.
The Pens were flying to start the second, throwing everything at the net, and coming incredibly close on numerous occasions to beating Boucher.
Pascal Dupuis drew a hooking minor on Rob Blake, but the powerplay was nearly a disaster. A couple of defensive blunders led to a golden scoring chance for Patty Marleau, but Fleury was there for the save.
By the time two minutes remained in the second period, the Pens had closed all the way to take the lead in the shot count, and they'd soon follow suit on the scoreboard.
Satan skated the puck from his own end before flipping the puck to Thomas, who just sent the puck to the front of the net. Blake accidentally redirected the puck five-hole through the wickets of Boucher, putting the Pens up 1-0 on Thomas' first goal as a Penguin.
Cooke, Malkin, and Sykora had a three on one break, but time expired in the middle frame.
Three minutes into the third, San Jose's Clowe-Pavelski-Michalek line controlled the puck in the Penguins' defensive zone for the better part of a minute, the climax of that span coming when Fleury stoned Clowe from point blank in the slot.
Chants of "Fleury! Fleury," reverberated around the Igloo.
Thomas had a breakaway shorthanded while Staal was in the box for roughing, but Boucher stacked his pads and just barely fended the biscuit off.
The Sharks established somewhat of a shooting gallery on Fleury by the midway mark of the third, but MAF continued to hold down the fort.
Finally, the Sharks tied it up.
Dan Boyle dangled around the Pittsburgh defensive core, and floated a high puck on net. Eventually, Michalek poked it over to Pavelski for the easy, deflating slam dunk goal.
Clowe was called for hooking Malkin, and the powerplay that insued was pure mayhem.
Malkin, Crosby, and Letang all had golden chances, but the post and Boucher wouldn't allow the puck into the back of the net.
Mike Grier found himself with a breakaway on Fleury, but Fleury made a fantastic kicksave. After the puck was stopped, Ryan Whitney, sliding along the ice, almost carried it into his own cage, but Fleury still kept it out.
Regulation came to a frantic finish, but nobody scored, and the Pens took a crucial point with an equally important one up for grabs in the overtime.
In overtime, the Pens got a few opportunities, especially on the powerplay, but no goals came.
It was on to the shootout.
Sykora went first, and missed.
Michalek missed for the Sharks.
Malkin shot into Boucher's pads.
Pavelski was stopped by Fleury.
Crosby was up, and he beat Boucher. Same move as always, but this time it worked!
Boyle had to even it up, and Fleury stopped him!
Game.
What an important W, and against scuh a great team no less.
Woooooo.
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1 comment:
Billy Thomas is my hero. I can't believe I missed his goal!
Sid was crazy. And Flower was...there are no words for him. I can't believe we just won that.
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